Tag: caring for sick children

Nobody likes to have a cold, but for toddlers, congestion can be absolutely awful – for both the ill kids, and the parents who are caring for sick children!

Part of caring for sick children is knowing what the best types of medication are to deal with common issues. In the case of colds and congestion, North Phoenix preferred pediatrics clinics will not prescribe antibiotics. Usually, the best and safest remedies for congestion are things you can do right at home.

Humidifiers

Running a humidifier in your child’s room is a great way of caring for sick children without using actual medication. This is incredibly safe, as there is no risk of medicine interactions or allergies. However, in order to ensure the utmost in safety, Glendale pediatrics practitioners suggest a cool mist humidifier rather than a steam humidifier. Humidifiers are good to use at night to help your toddler get much needed rest, despite suffering from congestion.

Adjust Sleeping Position

You can also adjust your child’s bed to keep their head a bit higher than their body. It can be difficult to keep a wiggly toddler in this position, but putting a few books under two of the legs of the bed can be enough to adjust the angle. This will help your toddler breathe better through his or her congestion.

Saline Solution

Glendale pediatrics practitioners usually recommend saline nose drops as a good way to start treating congestion. You can make your own salt water nose drops or buy pre-mixed medications like Ocean Nose Drops. This type of medication will loosen any built up mucus in your toddler’s nose, helping clear up congestion. North Phoenix preferred pediatrics clinics may also recommend Afrin Pediatric Nose Drops for brief usage to clear up congestion.

If none of these safe, easy methods of dealing with congestion work, you may need a decongestant or antihistamine mediation for your toddler. Typical over the counter cough and cold medications are not recommended for children under age four, so it is a good idea to contact your North Phoenix preferred pediatrics clinic for help.

If you find yourself confused when digging through the medicine cabinet or looking at a daunting selection of medications at the drugstore, call your Glendale pediatrics practitioner or North Phoenix preferred pediatrics clinic for assistance. As experts in caring for sick children, pediatricians usually have a list of meds that can work in your specific situation.

Caring for sick children is a huge responsibility. Parents and other caregivers can often wind up stressed out, burned out, and overwhelmed during the course of caring for sick children. If this happens, North Phoenix pediatricians may recommend that caregivers attend support groups for parents with sick children.

A Common Understanding

Support groups put parents in touch with others who are caring for sick children. Together, parents and caregivers can share their own stories of caring for sick children, swap coping methods and resources, and feel like they are not alone in the struggle. While North Phoenix pediatricians and other medical providers understand a lot about caring for sick children, nobody can understand the unique issues that come with parenting sick children like fellow parents can.

Sharing these experiences of caring for sick children helps reduce stress for everyone involved. Feeling helpless is often a large aspect of caring for sick children, and simply knowing that others hear you and can empathize with what you are going through lifts some of the burden.

Practical Benefits

Being able to share information like pain management, treatment side effects, medications being used for treatment, and resources regarding healthcare providers like North Phoenix pediatricians are also helpful parts of being in a support group. Other parents of sick children may have tips and tricks that will ease your worries and concerns.

Where to Find a Group

If you are looking for a support group, your North Phoenix pediatricians may be able to recommend a certain group or multiple groups in which fellow patients are involved. Some support groups for parents caring for sick children are facilitated by therapists or social workers, while others are peer-led. The type of support group you choose depends on your own comfort level with groups, and what type of environment you prefer. The most important part of selecting a support group for parents caring for sick children, is knowing that you will feel safe to share your story and seek help within the group.

The people you meet in support groups for parents caring for sick children can end up becoming some of your best friends, confidants, and cheerleaders. If you are having a hard time coping with your situation, or just need a boost, ask your North Phoenix pediatricians for a support group recommendation, and know that you are not alone in caring for sick children.

With childhood obesity and diabetes on the rise, many more families are searching for healthy snacks for their kids. Snacks are one way that saturated fats, sugars, and refined carbohydrates tend to sneak into kids’ diets. Limiting them is one way to cut down on caring for sick children, or going to the doctor for pediatrics care in time of illness.

Glendale pediatrics doctors and pediatrics care providers nationally recommend keeping these bad health culprits out of children’s diets. One easy and delicious way to do this is to be proactive about snacks. Have some healthy snacks ready when kids come home from school. Healthier diets also mean fewer colds and flus, less caring for sick children and less pediatrics care.

Roasted Chickpeas

These crunchy, salty snacks are full of protein (12 grams per ounce) and super easy to make: drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Spread them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and Parmesan cheese (optional). Place in a 400 F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Hummus and Veggies

Hummus is a bean dip that is easy to make or buy. Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumber slices, jicama, bell pepper, and any other veggie you can think of. Hummus provides lots of protein, which is recommended by Glendale pediatrics doctors, and it’s delicious.

Revisit Breakfast

Granola is very simple and inexpensive to make at home, and is useful when caring for sick children. With a base of rolled oats, you can add nuts, seeds, coconut, and dried fruits of your choice. Sprinkle with oil—olive oil or coconut oil are healthy choices—a touch of salt and a teaspoon of maple syrup, if you like it sweet. Then, bake it in a low oven temperature (200-250), turning every 5 minutes so that it browns. Have this as a snack sprinkled over plain yogurt, or with milk.

Nut Butters and Fruit

As your Glendale pediatrics doctor will tell you, snacks with some protein go much further than those with simple carbohydrates or sugars. Protein-packed snacks keep your kids going until dinner, and ultimately they’ll feel fuller and consume fewer calories. Spread almond or peanut butter on celery sticks, apple wedges, or banana slices. Add raisins, dried blueberries, or dried cranberries for fun and a touch of sweetness.

Healthful ways of eating are the basis of successful pediatrics care. Eat healthy food and cut down on caring for sick children and sick days.

The common cold is one of the main reasons why sick kids miss school. Children under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable and often have 6-8 colds per year. Caring for sick children can be nerve wracking, since their colds can be more prolonged than in adults. Most of the time, caring for sick children does not mean a Deer Valley pediatrics doctor visit—just common sense care like lots of sleep, liquids, soups, and perhaps the appropriate dose of an over the counter anti-fever medication to relieve your sick kid’s discomfort.

However, sometimes common colds do develop into something more serious and it’s good to be aware of these signs in sick kids, and to take them to your Deer Valley pediatrics doctor when necessary.

Pay Attention to Fevers

Some possible complications from colds are ear infections, asthma, sinusitis, and pneumonia. A high fever is often an initial sign that a sick kid is more sick than you may have thought. If a fever repeatedly rises above 104 F in a child of any age, or is 100.4 F or above in a newborn child up to 12 weeks old, this is a sign that your child may have something more serious than a cold. If a fever lasts for more than 3 days in a child over 2, or for more than 24 hours in a child younger than 2, it is an indication that it’s time to call your Deer Valley pediatrics office.

Other Signs

There are other signs that a cold may have turned into a more serious problem. Some of these include, but are not limited to:

Signs of dehydration, such as urinating less often than usual and not drinking enough fluid

Vomiting or abdominal pain

Severe headache

Unusual sleepiness

A stiff neck

Labored breathing

Crying that doesn’t stop

Ear pain

Persistent cough

Caring for sick children is difficult no matter what. Learn to differentiate these signs and symptoms. Take as many preventative measures as possible, even when no one in the family has a cold. Get plenty of rest and eat wholesome foods including lots of fruits and vegetables. And, don’t be afraid to call your Deer Valley pediatrics office when you’re not sure if your sick kids need additional care.